NBA PLUS. INSIDE THE NBA.

Zoning in on the stars

Trapping `D' could hamper individual talent

June 11, 2001|BY SAM SMITH.

Never before has there been so many brilliant individual performances as there have been in the NBA playoffs this season. It has produced talk about new stars, increased TV ratings and perhaps the first excitement about the league's championship series since the Bulls' dynasty.

And, as Lakers coach Phil Jackson notes: "This may be the last time we'll see this type of basketball in the NBA."

That's because of the new rules scheduled for next season. With questions constantly being raised about the future of the NBA just months ago at the league's All-Star weekend, owners agreed with a committee recommendation to change various rules, including allowing zone defenses.

The principal stated reason was to eliminate the confusing zone defense rules, which enabled some teams, namely the Knicks and Heat, to isolate players and play a stagnant game.

But the effect of the zone, and more trapping, could be to reduce the impact of individuals, which is what Michael Jordan unsuccessfully argued. And it could have the biggest effect on some of the players starring in this exciting Finals series.

"I don't know what the league is doing," said Shaquille O'Neal. "If they want to pay me all this money to be a token, then the fans are really going to be [angry] when they come to the games and don't see me doing anything. If it gets to the point where the game's not fun anymore, I'll do something else. I wish they had legends on the committee, not guys like your man from Phoenix [committee chairman Jerry Colangelo], which has the sorriest big men in the league and needs to change the rules. All these suits with their 15 marketing degrees."

O'Neal is upset because teams next year could station two defenders around him at all times. One of the new rules is a three-second defensive violation, but that wouldn't be called unless all five offensive players were outside the lane, where O'Neal is ineffective.

Teams could also shadow with two defenders a player like Allen Iverson on a team with few options on offense. And after a record-breaking number of 40-point games in the playoffs, does the league want to retreat from that?

"We'll see what happens," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. "We're not the least bit concerned. It may wind up opening the game up. But we're always flexible. We're a league that's been known to make changes and review things. It will be interesting to see what the basketball people do."

They have no idea as of yet, other than several teams hiring college coaches as assistants or consultants.

"We're all going to be sitting around this summer to see what we can do to change up on the style of game we're going to play," said Jackson. "Can we get three 7-footers on the court and play them together? Can we get 6-foot 8-inch guards to play on the court? Can we gerrymander together a defense that can really be an effective zone, given the guidelines of the rules? We know we can run an offense without point guards. What's it going to mean? Especially since this game has gone down to a lot of small guards."

Don't be surprised to see some tinkering if individual scoring averages decline.